The Learning Curve
by sulli-ssi
Summary: Rukia Kuchiki is the guitarist of the world-famous J-rock girl band, Gotei 13. When an incident brings her and international mixed martial artist champion Ichigo Kurosaki, things go from bad to worse. Fate brings them together when he is assigned as her personal bodyguard! Of course, that's not the only trouble they get caught up in... [RE-WRITE IN PROGRESS]
1. Bad Beginnings

**Bad Beginnings**

**.**

**.**

The crowd gathers around the white limousine that pulls into the hotel.

Swarms of both fans and media mongers press upon the vehicle. A familiar yet anonymous red-haired man nods towards the extra bodyguards before blocking some fans from the door as it is opened by the chauffeur.

There is a tense air of anticipation that instantly demands silence, and it instantly is broken when a long, slender leg delicately is revealed.

No one notices the annoyed twitch of the red-haired man's eyebrow as a tall, buxom woman with flowing chestnut hair steps out with a smile that could short out a hundred light bulbs.

They explode into a flurry of excitement as four other women step out and slowly make their way through the throng; the red-haired man leading the way, and the other men assisting them silently.

A few photos are taken of an equally 'gifted' woman-her slightly wavy hair a few shades between orange and brown, and her smile even more stunning. She doesn't look bothered by carrying the case for her guitar, despite her very womanly appearance and her seemingly fragile figure. At face value, no one would even suspect that she, along with her fellow band members, is subjected to physical therapy twice a week. She winks at a few male fans, and most are star-struck to the point that they have nosebleeds.

A shy-looking brunette looks flustered as she tries to (unsuccessfully) tell off her manic fans who scream for her 'kawaii' tendencies. She smiles apologetically at a nearby male fan who looks disappointed at being swept away by the crowd. She also carries a guitar case, but it is longer due to the bass guitar it houses. A few strands of her hair escape her bun, and she tucks them behind her ear-the action receives much attention from her own fans.

Another woman steps out, twirling her drumsticks in a very lackadaisical manner. Her two braids swish as she turns her head at an oncoming fan, and she sticks out an arm before he can come any closer. She glares at him, but he only smiles goofily and promptly loses consciousness.

Not long after, a shorter woman appears, her arrival heralded by her guitar case. Her case, setting it apart from the rest, has pure golden locks-courtesy of her brother, who also owns the hotel where they live. That very hotel where they are trying to get to at the moment. Much like her namesake, her mere presence exudes what can only be likened to cold and merciless snow…and she is just as elusive. She expertly dodges some shots, says hi to some fans, but she never does much more than that, thus building upon her mysterious persona. She smiles politely at some cameras before trying to quickly join up with her band mates.

Finally, the last arrival-an imposing female with a short haircut and glasses-makes her way out of the limousine, an iPad in one hand and a phone to her ear with the other. Distinctly, she does not gain much attention. She is not mindful of the crowd. Instead, she roughly pushes her way past it, earning some protestations, which she immediately shoots down with a stern glare.

All five females sigh as soon as they arrive at the front steps of their luxurious home.

"Goddamn," Soi Fon Shihoin grumbles as she trudges up the small set of steps, ignorant of the reverent stares sent towards her group by some of the patrons in the hotel. "I'm so hungry I can eat a horse."

"No, no, that won't do!" Nanao Ise exclaims into her phone, her tone clipped and only slightly raised. "The band will not perform for only a few thousand! You need to pick a venue with much more space…"

"Ah, it's so good to be back home, right, Orihime-chan?" Rangiku Matsumoto asks as she, too, follows their manager and drummer inside. She loops her arm around their vocalist's, and they make their way to the buffet table.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble we caused, Shinsei-san," Momo Hinamori apologizes to the doorman, who smiles gratefully for the apology. She smiles back and hurries off with her friends.

"Ne, Shinsei-san," Rukia Kuchiki says, rolling her tired shoulders for a while, dawdling on the spot. She can hear the crowd being ushered off almost forcefully by the guard outside. The poor doorman, however, still is trying to shut the door from die-hard fans. How they got to that point is beyond Rukia entirely. "Is my brother here?"

"I'm sorry, Kuchiki-san," the doorman answers. "Kuchiki-sama is on a business trip in Paris right now."

"Ah…alright," she says, shifting the guitar case from one hand to the other. She bows only slightly out of respect for the man; he's been serving them ever since she can remember. "Sorry for bothering you again, Shinsei-san."

"It's alright," the old man answers again in his polite yet flustered manner, although pausing for a moment to grunt at the sudden force of about five people trying to get past him. She barely notices, being desensitized to such things. She starts to walk away, but not towards the buffet table; the plush couches in the lobby look much more enticing than the comfort of food.

Her body feels heavy. How can she not be after another nationwide tour? She lost count after the third tour, but the public never really got enough. In fact, their recent tour was only possible due to the millions of requests. They only had a few months to record a few new songs, and then they were off to their second worldwide tour.

She half-drags herself onto a comfortable seat. She slumps down and lets her head loll backwards, placing the guitar case standing up on the ground beside her legs.

The music and the fans and everything about this whole gig brings about a light feeling in her chest, but honestly, it can get unbelievably tedious. She's barely 26, for Christ's sake. Her studies had been…hectic, to say the least. Not only was she hailed a 'prodigy' at the age of three, but she never seemed to stay away from the music industry for long, no matter her efforts to the contrary.

There is a loud thud, and she bolts upright.

Her guitar case lies on the ground now, and loud curses stream from the mouth of the orange-haired guy who is clutching his forehead–

She blinks once, then twice.

The guy looks like –

_Ichigo Kurosaki_, she recalls, barely hearing the enraged words coming from his mouth. She only knows him from watching his fights with Renji, and from what she's seen, he's quite skilled in what he does. She usually doesn't keep track of such things, but it's always quite interesting when she finds Renji ogling at a guy.

It's not that she can blame him, though. Up close, the famed fighter looks so…rugged and cut and…well, everything that she told herself not to get involved with every again. The orange hair screams bleach, but as far as she's heard, it's apparently all-natural.

However, now isn't the time to chuckle at all the times she's teased Renji's (really quite questionable) sexuality, or to think about how Kurosaki would look so much better if he isn't scowling so much.

"Hey, kid, you better watch where you put that," the guy says sounding pissed beyond reason.

She stops just as she picks the guitar up from the ground. _Kid…!_

He just called her a _child_.

Doesn't he know who _she_ is?!

He doesn't even look at her; he's reading some sort of folder now and mumbling something about getting hurt on the job or some other worthless babble like that.

Alright, so he runs into her guitar case. Fine, she can handle that. But being insulted?

_No way._

"Excuse me," she says in the most saccharine tone she possibly can manage. She can't just maul a martial artist in public, can she? "I think you've mistaken me for a child."

He gives her a sideways glance before scowling even harder. Okay, so admittedly she looks different with her hair hidden in a beanie and her eyes covered in huge shades, but that's not the point. How is it that this guy finds astupid folder more interesting than her? And how can he not recognise her?! Hell, a passerby would recognise her, even if she grew a moustache.

But no, he decides to add insult to injury by saying: "Look, _kid_, I don't need your attitude. Jeez, kids these days, you all think you're better than everyone, huh? Can't even apologise for getting your goddamn guitar case in my way…"

During his mini-diatribe, a little more of Rukia's patience wears away. By the time he trails off, she's clenching her guitar case so tightly that her knuckles are probably popping out of her skin, and her teeth are grating so hard that she wonders why this idiot can't possible hear a thing.

"_Excuse me_," she seethes, finally placing the case on the ground as gently as she can, "I am not a child."

"Look," he says, finally standing so that they're toe-to-toe. He's closed the folder and placed it on his seat, and now he's staring her down. The bastard thinks that he actually can intimidate her! "I'm sure you say that to everyone. But how 'bout a little respect to your elders, huh?!"

Oh, _that_ is the last straw for Rukia.

She balls up her fists and roughly takes the beanie and glasses off. "I am not a child!"

She takes some form of satisfaction with the shock and recognition in his eyes, but it is quickly replaced by irritation. "Well you're as short as one! Some famous midget you are!"

All reason goes flying out the window.

He did _not_ just insult her height!

Quite possibly, every person within earshot – including her friends – is looking at them right now. She can't help but notice the bewildered (and somewhat fearful) looks some people are giving them, out of the corner of her eye. She can't blame them; the last time someone told her she was cute because of her height, she sent the guy to a hospital with a broken arm…and paid every witness $1000 (US dollars, of course) for their silence.

She isn't a Kuchiki for shits and giggles.

Some part of her is telling her that beating Ichigo Kurosaki up is a bad idea. He probably isn't called a prodigy for nothing either, and she's seen him in action herself. But he is sneering at her like she's the trash of the world, and God help her, she'd rather take that look off his face. With her fist…or maybe her foot; she needs a new punching bag anyway, and this guy is seriously asking for it.

As her brother-in-law would say, 'one shall not leave unscathed when he insults our Kuchiki pride'.

"Say that again," she growls, glaring up at him, meeting his angry stare with a raging one of her own.

"What? Can't hear me down there…midget?"

His mocking laugh is cut short by the air being knocked out of him. He bends over, and she quickly gets him in a headlock, pinning his head between her elbows. She pulls him under her arm and simultaneously drives her knee into his (very, very hard) solar plexus.

It seems that all those weeks of staying in shape and doing kickboxing are paying off, even if her knees are already hurting as all-fuck (which adds to the question: exactly how ripped is Ichigo Kurosaki?).

By now, the crowd has turned away in fear. Some can be heard murmuring – Nanao will have her head for losing her temper again.

She releases him, and he steps back, bent down slightly and clutching at his stomach. He opens his mouth to shout at her, but she's not done yet.

She pushes the heel of her palm upwards against his nose, and he falls back, howling in pain.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" he yells out from under her, clutching at his nose with one hand. "WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?!"

"YOU NEVER INSULT MY HEIGHT, KUROSAKI!"

"What the – how do you know who I am?!"

She crosses her arms over her modest chest and stomps on his foot. He yells in pain. "Stop being such a brat and apologise for insulting me!"

"Just because you're Rukia Kuchiki doesn't mean everyone bows down to you!"

Alright…that's a first.

It catches her off-guard for a moment; she's heard it from her friends before, but it's always been in a joking manner. But this guy, who is, for all intents and purposes, a stranger, starts insulting her…and he doesn't even care who she is!

She sputters, trying to grasp for words to say, so she just settles for huffing and taking her foot off of his. "I-I did not say that!"

"You practically demanded it, you crazy bitch!" He finally clambers onto his feet and lifts the edge of his shirt to reveal a toned body. He brings the cloth up to his nose; it is instantly coated in red. If she looks back on this moment, she might even admit that she stared a little bit at his body more than she will ever admit. How can she not? She's seen it on TV, but…

She shakes those thoughts away and sticks her tongue out at him in retaliation. "You're being a brat! I won't forget this!"

"I'm the brat?!" he yells, enraged, but she's already walking away with a guitar in hand, while the other is holding up a middle finger for him. He splutters behind her. "Hey, you! Come back here, you little midget demon!"

Screw him and his attractiveness!

She takes one of her flats off and throws it at him at lightning speed.

Everyone winces when it hits him in the face. "DON'T CALL ME A MIDGET!"

"I CAN CALL YOU WHATEVER I WANT!" he shouts back, livid to the point that one would expect steam to start blowing out of his ears. Her attempts to drown him out are pitiful, especially since he sounds like a banshee being skewered. Even when he finishes, and she lets her guitar case lean on the wall, she can't get that annoying sound out of her ears.

When she sits pointedly at a table with her friends and flashes the middle finger up at him again, she can swear he pops a vein.

Then, much to her amusement, he throws his arms up, gathers his folders, and leaves.

The whispers and the murmuring start anew. Rukia only rolls her eyes at this. Why can't anyone just mind their own business?

Before her thoughts can stray any further, someone hits her sharply over the head.

"OW!" she exclaims, whipping sideways to see Nanao's shaking fist. "What the hell –?"

"Stop being such a diva!" Nanao snaps, cracking her knuckles before smoothing down her rumpled suit. Rukia glares at her, but now that her manager has brought her down to reality, she can feel the looks of her friends – most of them display a mixture of disappointment and amusement. "You…you're really going to give me an ulcer...!"

"Do you always go to sleep this angry?" Rukia retaliates easily, rubbing the sore spot on her head. She grumbles under her breath. "No wonder you can't get laid…"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" the obviously-rattled woman shouts again. "Just because you can pay everybody off doesn't mean you go looking for trouble –!"

"I wasn't looking for trouble!" Rukia retaliates, her nerves already on edge. She doesn't need Nanao nipping at her heels. "The guy had it coming to him. He was being a dick, so…"

"Well, he did call Rukia the…you know… the S-word. And the M-word…" Momo helpfully supplies, patting Rukia's shoulder lightly. "It really isn't her fault…"

"She could've controlled herself!" Nanao hisses, aware of the attention they're getting (as if they don't have enough already!). "I mean, Christ, that was a professional fighter you were up against, Rukia! You can't just start fights with people just because they call you s—!"

"_Don't_ say it," Rukia cuts in, holding a finger up.

"For the record," Soi Fon pipes in, "I would've done the same thing, Kuchiki."

"Mou…so much tension…" Rangiku whines, just as the air grows heavy with Nanao looking ready to burst, right on cue. "Rukia-chan, why don't you get some food? We'll calm Nanao-chan down."

"What – no!" Nanao protests as Rukia gets up from her seat with a wink aimed in her direction. "Come back here, Rukia!"

"You know, this much tension requires some of my spinach casserole…" Renji trails off, bringing up the banned subject of his cooking, much to everyone's dismay.

"Shut up, Renji," Soi Fon snaps light-heartedly.

"Rukia…Rukia, wait, come back, I'm not done talking to you, woman!"

The words fall on deaf ears – Rukia's already taken the cue to leave, and she won't back down from any kind of insistence to get some food.

Because…well…_food_.

Also, she really doesn't want to weather Nanao's rage for the next few minutes.

She blinks and keeps her lids closed a second longer, if only to remember the fine details of the body of the man called Ichigo Kurosaki. For some reason, it isn't just the fact that her heart stuttered a little and her ovaries practically exploded at the sight of his bare skin that bothers her. It's the annoying little thing whispering in the back of her mind that makes her curious about what he would look like with a smile.

She opens her eyes and shakes the thought away, determinedly and quickly heading for the buffet table now.

That's such a silly idea. How can a scowling man like him every look happy…especially in front of her? And why does she even care? As far as she knows, they've practically declared war on each other.

That makes her laugh.

_Oh, it is **so** on, Kurosaki._

xx

**The Morning Show**

_Today: An Interview with famous J-Rock girl band, Gotei 13! With a special performance!_

_Host:_ Hello, viewers! This morning, I'll be interviewing Japan's favourite J-rock band, Gotei 13! Let's give it up for the lovely ladies!

[Audience cheers as the band comes into view.]

_Host:_ Wow, the crowd seems to have had an extra shot of coffee today! How are you doing, Gotei 13? The name's Shuuhei Hisagi, at your service.

_Matsumoto:_ Hey there! It's so nice to be here, Hisagi-san~

_Inoue:_ We're doing well, Hisagi-san. Thank you for having us.

_Soi Fon, Hinamori and Kuchiki:_ Thank you for having us~!

_Hisagi:_ I'm so lucky to be here with you all! Tell me, how was the tour?

_Kuchiki:_ It was good, Hisagi-san. We want to thank our fans – again – for the wonderful reception we've had over these past few months during our little…ha ha, visits.

_Soi Fon:_ If visits include being tired after every gig.

_Hisagi:_ We're glad to have you back again, Gotei! You all look radiant, not a spot of fatigue!

_Hinamori:_ You flatter us too much, Hisagi-san~

_Hisagi:_ Ahh~ You're all so cute! [chuckles lightly] You might actually distract me from doing my job here, ladies!

_Matsumoto:_ Ne, Hisagi-san, I'm so glad you called me cute!

_Hisagi:_ [blushes profusely and coughs]

_Inoue:_ But we wouldn't want to keep you from doing your job, Hisagi-san!

_Hisagi:_ [coughs] Of course, of course. Now, onto business! I heard that you beautiful women are about to record us a few new songs!

_Kuchiki:_ Hai. A few songs will be released later on after our tour. It'll be our comeback after a year.

_Matsumoto:_ [laughs] Yep. For a while now, the public has demanded for us to grace them with our music once again, and who are we to deny them?

_Soi Fon:_ Eh? You make it sound so easy, Rangiku!

_Inoue:_ It is easier if our fans our happy, ne?

_Hinamori:_ That's_ so right_, Orihime-chan!

_Hisagi:_ Well, that's wonderful and all, but where do you plan on going this time?

_Hinamori:_ Oh, Hisagi-san! I'm sorry for neglecting you! We're actually supposed to go on a worldwide tour!

_Kuchiki:_ That's right –starting in two weeks, right here in dear Tokyo. The route will be announced later at our site.

_Hisagi:_ Wonderful! Now, a performance from our all-time favourite band, the Gotei 13! [band gets up and picks up their instruments] Give it up for the Gotei, everybody!

xx

On their way backstage, chattering and laughing after that particular performance, they see him again.

Rukia finds herself laughing at the silliest things. Things are going so great, despite the lethargy and heaviness still clinging desperately onto her bones and muscles –

Suddenly, she is stopped by a big thing standing in her way.

The water bottle in her hand flies out of her grip, the water spilling on the dark shirt of that thing, and it scowls at her.

"Kurosaki," she seethes.

"Kuchiki," he growls at the same time.

"Come back for round two?" Rukia says, a smirk pulling at the corners of her lips. "Can't blame you for that…although I feel sorry for you. Dogs really don't learn quickly, do they?"

He scowls right back, and finally, she notices that there is a gun strapped to his thigh (his very muscular-looking thigh underneath his jeans…not that she's particularly staring at him or anything). "Bitches never get enough of me either."

Somewhere behind her, Renji says a small 'ooh' while Momo winces. Rukia glares at her crimson-haired friend for this, before switching targets and instead giving a deadly look to the bright-haired man beside him. "What's the gun for, Kurosaki? You come to kill me? I gotta tell ya, this isn't the best way to assassinate me. Can't you put in any effort at all?"

He snorts at this. "_Please_, even if I wanted to kill you, I don't think you'd be worth the effort."

"So what's the gun for, huh?" She wonders if he can hear the different nerves thumping on her forehead when her friends start snickering. She fixes them a dirty look. "Can you leave us, please?"

"Why?" Soi Fon asks, obviously amused at the exchange. "It's fun to see you all riled up."

If looks could kill, everyone at whom Rukia had been glaring would be dead already. As it is, they do seem to have some sense of self-preservation. It is Orihime who ultimately ushers everyone out of the hallway. Only Nanao hangs back, wearing a look that screamed do-anything-stupid-and-I'll-kill-you; Rukia only shrugs.

When they disappear into their changing room, Ichigo grabs her arm and pulls her into a corner. She barely lets out a 'hey!' before he lets go, like he's just touched something utterly disgusting.

Well…it's okay if Rukia kills him here, right?

"I don't like it," he growls, staring her down, "but I have a job to do, and I will do it."

"You're going to kill me here?" Rukia asks, half-amused and half-annoyed as she cocks an eyebrow at him. "Can't we go anywhere classier? You know, lull me into a false sense of security…make sure it's not obvious that you really want to blow my brains out?"

"If I was here to kill you, how did you think I managed to get past the guards with this," he motions to his gun, "on full display?"

Rukia doesn't let him see that the thought never once crossed her mind. "Fine, so what are you here for?"

He moves his hand, and for a moment Rukia's heart hiccups; is he really going to kill her? He does seem mad…

But no, he only pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket. Folded and creased, he hands it forward as he leans against the wall. She ignores the way his fitted shirt presses against his body and the way the muscles in his exposed arms ripple even in the dim lighting. Instead, she grabs the note from him and hurriedly reads it.

The first thing she notices is her brother's sophisticated script.

The second thing that comes to mind is – why would a mangy dog like Kurosaki hold a note from my brother?

"What the hell is this?" she asks, skimming through and feeling a cold pit of dread settle in her stomach.

"Can't you read, idiot?" he retorts, looking away from her, that brooding look draping over his features again. She doesn't answer and folds the note, crease for crease, before putting it in her own pocket, where it feels like it's burning her.

A beat of silence passes. She tries so very hard to digest this terrible piece of news…

How can her brother do such a thing?!

"I'm your new personal bodyguard…midget."

**.**

**.**

**A/N: **Woo hoo! First re-written chapter is up, folks.

To those who've waited patiently, thank you! For the new readers (if there are any), hi. :)

I really, really _do_ have to thank the fabulous beta readers _Nieve Drop_ and _Sami97_ for proof-reading this and helping me improve my writing (which means a better-quality story for y'all!). Thank you so much. I hope you'll be patient with my (horrible) writing.

For those who're wondering where all the old chapter have gone - DO NOT FRET. Ofc I have them with me, guys. What is the point of re-writing the thing and keeping the story if I lost all the files? Let's just hope that I don't accidentally delete it on one of my bursts of insanity and frustration, hey.

Look out for the next chapter!


	2. Artists Are Mundane

**Artists are Mundane**

**.**

**.**

Rukia slams the door and lets herself into the changing room. She ignores the curious looks from her friends – she's sure they'll make her talk about this later – and focuses on their manager, who is looking calmly at her from her spot on the couch in the corner.

"You knew about this!" she bellows angrily, pointing at the orange-haired man walking in after her. He sends her friends a disarming, shy smile before bowing and apologising for the intrusion. Rukia can't care less; her anger isn't aimed at him at the moment. "You didn't care to tell me?!"

"He was at the hotel yesterday looking for you," Nanao explains, pushing the glasses up the bridge of her nose. "I only asked why."

"My brother told you about this arrangement, didn't he?" she accuses.

"He mentioned it in passing," their manager replies with an innocent shrug. "I didn't think he'd actually go through with it."

"Trust me when I say that I don't even want the job," Ichigo tells her sullenly from his spot against the wall. Rukia takes careful note of the way everyone is staring at him like he's the best damn thing that's ever walked on the planet. Fine, so he does sound really…

_No, don't even go there._

"No way in hell I'd trust you with anything," she growls at him.

"Ne, ne, Rukia-chan, I think you should calm down for a bit…" Orihime says with what is meant to be a comforting smile. Rukia's annoyance wavers – slightly.

"This might actually be good for you, Kuchiki," Soi Fon sniffs as she puts on the rings in her braids, a hint of amusement in her tone. "You've finally got yourself a decent punching bag."

"And Bya-dono chose him, so he can't be that bad," Momo pipes in, using her own nickname for Byakuya whenever he isn't around. Rukia just cocks an eyebrow at all of them before finally budging.

In response, she heaves a long sigh. "Fine, we'll see how this goes." She shoots a glare at Ichigo. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it. For now, sit there and make yourself invisible."

xx

A few hours after the event, Ichigo was led to a nondescript recording studio. Upon arrival, he was told to sit down and wait for the recording to finish. It's a relief that Nanao had been the one to tell him this; Rukia had resorted to ignoring him completely, which is fine by him.

Ichigo looks nonplussed and takes a seat on the plush furniture. The other bodyguard, Renji Abarai, had gone out for coffee a few minutes ago, and this is one of those moments where he can merely sit on the couch and enjoy the silence. He doesn't want to seem like a dick, but the redhead really needed to pipe down a notch; he kept talking to Ichigo and asking about his fights and his training, and Ichigo has probably said 'it's nothing special' about ten times in twenty minutes. He isn't exaggerating when he says it, but Renji doesn't seem to get enough of it.

Not that Ichigo will ever admit, but he _does_ respect what these people do. From what he's seen and what he's been told, the Gotei 13 – like any other decent musicians – work hard and play harder. They give it their all every single time they play; that much he's seen.

At least, what he's seen in the past five hours that they've been in the recording studio. As Ichigo looks at the group behind the glass, their music somehow…draws him in.

He's not ignorant, of course. He's heard about the Gotei and how easily they've climbed up the charts since they were discovered during their college days. He just didn't care for them; he's always preferred 90's rock.

But right now, his preferences are thrown out the window. Orihime's voice is admittedly very lovely, and Ichigo's heard that she has a three-octave range if she tries hard enough, which is very, very impressive (not that he knows what the difference is between them, but if he's told it's a good thing, then he won't argue). The instrumentalists won't be outshone, though. Each of them play wonderful notes—each as clear and entrancing as the voice that brings them to life.

_Chigau deai no ato de chigau koi mo shita yo_

_Ima no ko to wa umaku itteru_.

What he doesn't understand is why these girls are singing about heartbreak. They don't seem like the type to get into those kinds of situations. He's heard about their different flings and different scandals, in passing, from his sisters, but he's never cared before.

_So why are you caring now? _A little bastard on his shoulder whispers in his ear. Hell if he knows the answer.

"Amazing, right?" Renji asks, suddenly beside him. Ichigo flinches, and the man only grins at his reaction before handing him a coffee. "They don't stop getting better."

"How long have you been with them?" the orange-haired fighter asks, trying to strike a conversation away from the subject of anything concerning his past fights.

"A few months after they accepted the deal," he answers, leaning back on the couch. "It's weird…I always wanted to be a bodyguard for the Kuchiki, but I ended up being a bodyguard for just one, plus her friends. I don't mind, though."

"Why'd you want to guard the Kuchiki? Not that it's any of my business…"

"No, it's fine," Renji says, waving his last statement off. "Rukia and I were friends when we were kids, but we got separated when her sister found her. I guess I just always wanted to repay her for making my time in the system bearable."

"She was adopted?"

Renji nods affirmatively. "I thought you'd have seen that in her file."

At this, Ichigo frowns. "No, that detail wasn't there…I've only been given her daily schedule and the basic stuff."

"Ah…Kuchiki-sama must've wanted to omit that little fact." Renji shrugs his shoulders and sips his coffee like he doesn't care at all. "Eh, you might as well know. Rukia's only a Kuchiki because her sister married Byakuya, and then they spent years looking for her, because she was given away when she was a baby, y'know? Then her sister, Hisana, found her when she was about 7, I think."

Ichigo doesn't say anything, keeping his gaze on the ebony-haired midget behind the glass, playing her little, black heart out. After a while, he begins to sip on his coffee to help him think.

Who ever thought that the little demon would have such a melancholy childhood?

Not that he would know…or would ever want to know. He has to do guard duty on her for a few months, and that's the deal: nothing more, nothing less. He doesn't have to know her inside and out.

But…he can't deny that some part of him wants to.

She just has this air around her that drags people in kicking and screaming, and it pushes them away at the same time. No wonder she's called the Ice Queen, or that her role in the group is 'the enigma.' People want to know more about her, but she doesn't seem to give anything away.

_Also, she's a bitch._

Yeah. The thought makes him sneer. _She's a bitch, so why waste my time?_

"She's not that bad as long as you don't insult her," Renji tells him, as if reading his train of thought. He blinks and finally turns towards the man, whose attention is on Rukia. There is a small smile playing on Renji's lips, bittersweet and nostalgic. "I have the bruised shins to prove it."

Ichigo snorts in response. "The little bitch probably can't reach any higher than that anyway."

Renji merely shrugs. "You get used to it, bro. It's how she shows that she likes you, see? She's not that good at expressing herself, that's all." The man pauses. "Oh, and she does kickboxing."

The new bodyguard almost chokes on his drink. "Kickboxing – whose stupid idea was it to get that demonic dwarf to do kickboxing, of all things?!"

During their conversation, however, they haven't noticed the band stop playing, calling for a very late lunch break. It just so happens that Rukia opened the door just as Ichigo said his sentence.

By the time he reaches his last word, he's gotten a new bump on the back of his head. "Ow, what the – why the hell would you hit me?!"

"Because you're a jerk!" she replies hotly.

"Bitch," he mutters under his breath, rubbing the sore spot with his free hand.

"What was that, you pussy-footing dick?" she growls, fists clenched.

_Great – one day on the job and I'm already arguing with the boss._

When he steams and seethes in silence, she takes that as her victory and crosses her arms proudly in front of her chest. "Just what I thought." She pauses. "For the record, I take kickboxing because of assholes like you who think that short people like me can't defend ourselves."

"Being short is cute!" Momo says as she exits the recording booth. "Don't let it bother you, Rukia!"

"Yeah, Rukia-chan! You can always turn into a robot-bunny!" Orihime joins, in her usual happy manner. When everyone gives her a blank look, the question mark hanging above her head can't be any more visible. "What? You know, the robot-bunny from that movie…Sucker Punch!"

There is a mass exclamation of "oh", and Orihime sighs. "No one watches the good movies…"

"I'll watch it with you again if you want, Hime-chan," Rangiku says, draping her arm around the similarly buxom woman. "Momma will do anything for dear Hime-chan~"

"Papa does not allow it!" Soi Fon butts in, pushing the two of them apart before curling an arm around Orihime's waist. "Hime-chan would rather go with Papa to get food, ne?"

"This happens every day," Renji bemoans as he finishes the last dredges of his drink before throwing it expertly into the bin in the corner. He stands with a sigh as all five musicians begin bickering and teasing each other, ignoring the two men and the sputtering recording manager at the console. "C'mon, dude. Once these girls are hungry, they're like rabid dogs…"

"You callin' me a bitch, Abarai?!" Soi Fon hollers from the front of the jagged line of people they've made, somehow hearing Renji's comment.

"Of course not!" Renji replies sarcastically. This appeases Soi Fon somewhat and lets her go back to her friendly spat with 'Momma' Rangiku over their three 'children'. Renji mutters under his breath. "Little bitch."

For some reason, the whole exchange makes Ichigo smirk.

Just a bit.

Behind them, Hanataro Yamada gapes at the closed door. Then, he promptly drops his head into his hands resignedly with a groan. It's a wonder that they can even finish songs…

The defeated recording manager heaves a sigh and replays the last song that the band has played. He should really be used to it by now, but what never fails to amaze him is the fact that they don't even seem to try to be good – together, they just sound incredible. Maybe…that's why they've stuck together for so long, and why their fans believe in them.

He smiles slightly before doing his job; might as well clean up the sound while no one is around to bicker. He has a feeling that Rukia-dono and Kurosaki-san will start biting each other's heads off once they get back.

xx

A few days later, when Ichigo finally leaves her alone and goes to his appointed apartment at the floor below theirs, Rukia grabs the chance to go to the bathroom and think after a good, hot shower. It's a plus that everyone else is asleep at this time of the night (or so she hopes, anyway; sometimes, her band mates have an annoying habit of being nocturnal).

Rukia glares at her reflection on the mirror, wondering for the hundredth time that day why Ichigo said that really disturbing thing about her eyes the day before.

_They're too expressive_, he said. _You're really failing at this ice-cold persona with those eyes._

She clenches the edge of the sink, her knuckles turning as white as the marble it's made of. She shouldn't be so bothered by such little comments, but for some reason, everything Ichigo says makes her want to punch him. Or kiss him. But the latter is a fleeting feeling – usually brought upon by his rarely insightful moments – so she always feels the former towards the man.

_I will _kill_ him_, she seethes as she fights the urge to punch the mirror. _I won't even feel sorry…nope, the bastard deserves it…_

In the three days she's had him as a bodyguard, she's felt more uncomfortable and more irritable that she ever has before. She doesn't even feel safe with that gun strapped to his thigh – shouldn't he be hiding it…or something?

_Well, Ichigo, bang-up job so far._

With an irritated sigh, she releases her death-grip on the sink and readjusts her towel.

It's a good thing they don't live together; she'll go crazy with him and four other girls in the apartment.

On TV and in magazines, they would refer to this place as their 'dorm'; although it's far from the truth.

A 'dorm' reminds her of the studio-sized room with a mini-kitchen, a mini-dining area, overflowing cabinets of clothes, and two beds cramped in a cramped space.

Therefore, by her definition, her home isn't a 'dorm' – it's the penthouse of the Seireitei Hotels.

_Seireitei Hotels_ – a name known throughout the globe for impeccable service and expensive rooms; it's a hotel chain owned by her brother and the family, among many other things, including top-of-the-line restaurants and banks with as much security as Fort Knox. No one would expect anything less from the Kuchiki, who own half the businesses in Japan as of now.

Because she is the heir to this empire, her brother has provided her with the most expensive lodgings – for free. Ever since she finished college and abandoned her acquired master's degree in exchange for music, she's allowed her band mates to share in the space that had become terribly lonely.

Being a Kuchiki sometimes has its perks.

Besides, she agreed that her brother can buy her anything he deems necessary for the 'pride of the Kuchiki' so that he'll let her become a musician.

"Hey," Momo greets as she unceremoniously walks into the bathroom naked. Rukia squeaks in surprise and mortification. "What?"

"Momo, put some clothes on!" she hisses, trying to avert her gaze as she makes a grab for her toothbrush. "Just because we're the only ones here right now – wait, hey, why the hell are you walking around naked in the first place?!"

"Freedom," Momo replies as she adjusts the water temperature in the shower, her ass sticking out slightly in Rukia's direction. The guitarist gags, and to this, Momo laughs. "What, it's not like you haven't seen me naked before!"

Rukia's face flushes in embarrassment – she keeps telling her best friend that it was a one-time thing in high school during her rebellious years and god, Momo knew she couldn't hold her liquor properly back then!

She shudders at the memory that resurfaces. Rukia was the rebellious one in high school, sneaking out at night and playing gigs in clubs and getting the opportunity to grab a free drink or two whenever she could. However, Momo would always stop her from drinking too much.

It was during their graduation party where everything blew up in her face – she had challenged Momo and a few friends to a drinking game, which ended in an awkward situation where she and Momo woke up in their underwear. Together. In someone else's bed.

God only knows what they did. Rukia will never feel inclined to be curious about what transpired during what she would dub 'the dark hours'.

"That has nothing to do with this!" she retorts, sticking her toothbrush in her mouth. When Momo steps into the shower (finally), Rukia heaves another, longer sigh. "Jeez, would it kill you to just forget about it?"

"Dude, everyone thought we were dating, remember?" Momo asked, amusement clear in her tone. Rukia blushes madly yet again. She opens her mouth to answer back, but brushing her teeth prevents her from doing that. "You jumped on the first person you saw, which was…hey, remind me who that was again? Oh, right, _me_. Y'know, I should still sue you for rape."

"From what I heard, you enjoyed it," Rukia says as she finally finishes rinsing her mouth. "Not exactly rape when _you _dragged me into a room, either. Or so I've heard."

"We were both drunk; let's just leave it at that." She laughs at this – Momo can never out-sass Rukia. "Besides, nothing happened anyway. Speaking of getting laid, how's Kurosaki?"

"How does that equate into the conversation, exactly?"

"Because, nuh-duh, he's hot. If I were you, I'd tap that."

"But you're not me, and he is definitely not hot," Rukia points out smartly, making her way out. "Anyway, as fascinating as this conversation is, regarding the circumstances, I don't like being 'free' and hangin', so I'll leave you to your shower."

She promptly and loudly shuts the door behind her and suppresses a giggle when Momo curses her name up and down. As she makes her way down the hall, however, she finds herself thinking if Momo had been right in her assessment of Ichigo's qualities.

He always does wear the regulation black shirt that is probably a size too small for him, considering how his muscles are always on display. Does he even notice that everyone ogles at him? Or is he just used to being shirtless on the job, what with being a professional fighter?

And does he really have to wear those tight-fitting jeans all the time?

Perhaps the more appropriate question is: with all these clothes, how can anyone be sure he's not gay?

xx

Five hours of recording, and an estimated time of an hour of bickering with Ichigo (and each other) certainly did not do any of them wonders. Today, Nanao's been pressuring them more so than she has in the past, spouting off junk about how the company is demanding new material and how they have to have their songs ready before their next tour.

The end result? An exhausted and snippy Gotei who managed to cram Ichigo and Renji into a different vehicle while they have their 'free girl time'.

"I'm so tired," Rangiku complains as she hops into the van, being the last out of the five girls.

"My voice feels weird," Orihime bemoans, leaning on Soi Fon's shoulder, who in turn pats her head.

"My fingers are numb," Momo whines.

"My hands are pretty numb, too," Soi Fon adds in.

In the back of the van, sitting beside Momo, Rukia sighs. "You guys forgot your junk again, haven't you?"

The collective mutterings and murmurings are the answer to this. Rukia shakes her head and pulls her friends' extra 'supplies' from her backpack.

She's definitely not the eldest, but it's evident that she's probably as mature as one. Maybe the fates wanted to compensate for landing the group with Rangiku as the eldest; despite her naïve impulsiveness, Rukia can act maturely at the most opportune times. Without Nanao to boss all of them around, they've managed to look to Rukia to organise them somehow.

Silently, Rukia passes Soi Fon and Momo their heat packs, Orihime her lozenges, and Rangiku her energy drink (regrettably).

"Thank you, Rukia-chan," they say in tandem, mostly out of habit, before they continue on to relieve themselves of their physiological stress. A peaceful moment passes, but Rukia shouldn't have been surprised when it didn't last long.

"So," Rangiku starts again. "How's Ichigo?"

"It's been a week, and we either rip each other's heads off or not talk at all." Rukia answers, somewhat annoyed. She's tired of people trying to get her together with Ichigo. Besides, ever since the press saw Ichigo leading her towards the studio, small rumours have started to pop up, and the more time passes, the worse it gets. "What does that tell you?"

"That he's hot for you and, obviously, vice versa," Rangiku answers, grinning back in her usual catty manner. Man, that girl has the energy to power a nuclear reactor. Rukia groans at her response.

"You know that I'd rather cut his balls off, right?" she asks incredulously. "What is with everyone thinking that I'd do him?"

"Sexual tension!" they answer in unison.

She grumbles and crosses her arms in front of her chest, sulking. "I hate you guys."

"Ne, ne, Rukia-chan, don't sulk so much!" Orihime chirps, nudging her against the window. Rukia's frown lightens at this typical (cute) behaviour of their vocalist. Her friend sees this, and her smile widens. Then, she grabs a lock of her hair and puts it over her lip, before saying in a fake manly voice: "Look, I'm a guy! You can date _me_!"

"Rukia's not that easy, Hime-chan!" Soi Fon berates in front of them. The drummer shoots them a mischievous smirk. "You have to get her drunk first!"

"Papa Soi Fon! You know we never let our children drink!"

"Weirdo."

"Freak."

"LLAMA!"

"_WHAT_?!"

"I DON'T KNOW!"

Just like that, the tension dissipates, and teasing Rukia is traded for teasing each other.

She happily looks on. It's not that she feels out of place (she doesn't), but…sometimes, it's easier to just watch. It sounds creepy and weird, and Rukia knows that she would have joined in on the fun way back when, but now participating seems a little too tedious. God knows how much Rukia's been 'participating' these past two years, and she thinks she deserves a break from all of it.

"You okay?" Orihime asks, now the concerned friend once again. Rukia gives her half a smile.

"Yeah." Suddenly tired, she leans her head on Orihime's shoulder – something she hasn't done in a long while. "I'm fine."

She closes her eyes and thinks of a time when this moment wouldn't have existed. This – sitting in a van, knowing that she's adored in places she hasn't even been to. This…popularity thing…

She's had her fair share of it, of course. To those running in the classical music circles, they'd know her first as the genius, the prodigy. Maybe that's where she got her nom de guerre – "The Ice Princess." Maybe someone said something about before, when all she cared about was getting the notes right, playing the music perfectly. Screw the rest; they're all amateurs.

She played back then for her sister and for the brother-in-law who always has been (and always will be) cold towards her. She played to connect to people, but that didn't seem to happen, so she just…played like it would make a difference, even though she knew it wouldn't. Hell, she even forgot why she loved music in the first place. But she kept on going until she dug herself a hole that she thought she wouldn't be able to climb out of.

Then, she got out of it. For a good while, she stopped herself from grabbing a violin or sitting by a piano or some other instrument. She stopped doing what she did best.

Of course, it had been a challenge. She can't just switch it on and off. Her major in psychology had been touch-and-go for a while – she didn't really choose it because she was interested in it. Rather, it had been a burst of spontaneity. She saw Momo getting into a business course because it was expected of her, and Rukia merely did not want to fall into that pit. She wanted a change.

She got her wish, too. She enjoyed it for a while…before everything started to go downhill. Momo's surprise engagement, Momo's decline into partying and drinking and drugs during their college years…not that Rukia would ever complain about taking care of her friend, but Momo had been unstable back then. She needed a lot of help. It's a good thing that Rukia had met Soi Fon, Rangiku, and Orihime, because she doubts that she could have brought Momo back to being _Momo _all by herself.

They needed to…switch on. Do what they do best. Do something that brings them back to whatever semblance of sanity they had before.

Which, of course, brings them to now.

Rukia sometimes wonders if having all this fame has made them a little crazier. The stress, the pressure. Some of the members aren't used to it, but they'd learnt to adapt, in their own way. In fact, every one of them had to learn to be popular; the crowd isn't too fond of five weirdoes, who just happen to have a lot of talent. They had to build and maintain a certain image.

Orihime, who always comes off as happy and bubbly, was allowed to keep that persona. It attracted people to them, made them likable, "_unique_". Rock bands usually come off as intimidating and fierce, but Orihime's personality dispels that stereotype and makes them more approachable. More innocent, if there ever was such a thing.

Momo, who acts like Orihime when she first meets people, became Orihime No. 2. Rukia remembers Momo complaining about it for days when they had their first talk show, because Momo's always been the outgoing, sassy one who fights people with her words. Hell, the girl sasses people every chance she gets. The probability of her sassiness coming out is as high as her pigging out on the little junk food they're allowed to keep in their home. Reining that personality in made Momo sass people more than usual off-screen for a few days.

Then, Rangiku, who's stuck with the role of being their 'mother' because of a certain thing during one of their first TV shows. There was a show that they agreed to film – one that allowed their growing fan base to see how they're like at home. They saw Rangiku being the first one to get up and the only one to make breakfast (usually, it would be Momo or Orihime), and so the image stuck – Rangiku, the goddess who can play a mean guitar. The sex appeal of the group was boosted in that one (and only) episode.

That episode also gave Soi Fon the role of their 'father' after one instance where she (half-jokingly) threatened anyone who dared court her 'daughters.' Soi Fon is the sassy type as well. Most would consider Momo being similar to Orihime, when in fact the two 'trouble makers' in the group are Momo and Soi Fon. God, Rukia can't keep track of how many things those two have broken in their attempts to have 'some fun.' Anyway, their bad-ass image is kept by their drummer, so no one complains.

Rukia doesn't even remember when she was dubbed "The Ice Princess." Maybe because she would rather sit back and let the others do their thing on-screen. Her 'bored' and 'piercing' expression, coupled with her professional attitude, must be the cause of it. She finds it rather odd sometimes that she has fans because of a representation that isn't really her at all. They think that her cold demeanour towards others is her usual way of expressing herself when in fact, she'd much rather make bad jokes to break the ice, so to speak. Her band mates already do that, though, so she never finds any point to contribute to their bad humour.

So, it's their ragtag group of misfits that has managed to capture the hearts and ears and whatever-other-organs of their fans.

Rukia's thankful, in a way. At least, with four other members in the band, the spotlight isn't on her as much.

_Wonder what Ichigo would think if he knew I hate acting._

The thought brings a small smile to her face before she finally drifts off to sleep. She'd rather take a nap than mentally whine about everything anyway. It's not like she'll actually say anything about it to anyone.

.

.

**A/N: **In which Nanao is boss, Rukia and Momo are gay for each other when they're drunk, Rangiku, Soi Fon and Orihime make good comic relief, and Renji fangirls over Ichigo.

I'm sorry if the chapters are progressing slower than they have in the past, but that's because HEY, better quality writing is better than...not-good writing (I'm sorry I'm writing this at 2 in the f****** morning and I have no idea what I'm doing...and I have some event to attend in the city all day tomorrow..or technically, _today_. With _people_. UGHROSIGLGJFLGH - I'm gonna regret this tomorrow/today aren't I).

I shall never fail to thank my two wonderful betas, NieveDrop and Sami97. Thanks guys! I hope you're not too disappointed in my writing yet~

BUT on the plus side, the next chapter is already written, ready to be edited by _moi_, and then edited even more by the betas.


End file.
